Forest Conservation

The National Forests of the Sierra Nevada are managed through the creation, approval and implementation of forest plans and the projects designed to fulfill the objectives of those plans. To ensure that the proposed management of our national forests does not violate environmental laws, ignore the latest scientific research, threaten their ecological integrity and biological health, or run counter to the will of the public, we maintain an active forest monitoring program which follows all new forest plans, regional planning proposals, and local projects from start to finish and plays an active role in secure long-lasting protections for the forests of the Sierra Nevada.

The manner in which specific local projects and general forest plans come about has its roots in the creation of laws of regulations on Capitol Hill. The laws written in Washington D.C. lead directly to the regulations that govern our public lands and the policies and plans which are formulated to implement these laws. Oftentimes it is the interpretation of these laws and regulations which leads to battles in the legal arena and this is where our policy and legal experts enter the fray and monitor the formation of the laws and regulations and work diligently to oppose any attempts to circumvent existing laws or approve policies that threaten the long-term protection and restoration of Sierra Nevada forests.

Wildlife species throughout the Sierra Nevada are at risk due to the degradation and alteration of their habitat. Some of the habitats most imperiled in the Sierra Nevada are utilized by many of the endangered, threatened, and sensitive species wildlife species found throughout the range. Close to seventy-five species have these labels placed upon them due to the precarious nature of their existence. In order to protect and restore the habitat vital to these and other species that call the forests of the Sierra Nevada home a rigorous defense of their habitat and biological needs is necessary and is advanced daily by our conservation biologist and wildlife scientists.

Sierra Nevada forests have depended on fire to sustain their ecological health and integrity since forests first grew in the Range of Light. We believe that science provides the best determination of what role fire will continue to play in the management of our forests and to that end we dedicate a great deal of our time to advancing not only the latest fire science but also science which points to the importance diminishing habitats such as aquatic ecosystems and old-growth forests. The future of our forests and communities depend on management decisions that protect and restore the resources which ensure that our forests continue to provide the clean water, clear air and wildlife habitat that we all value.